Both airings of American Idol and the premiere of Dancing with the Stars took the top three spots for the week. NBC finally rejoins the overall top 20 list, at number 20 with Law & Order: SVU. As usual NBC fared better in the adults 18-49 rankings where it placed four shows in the top 20.
The Office was nowhere near the overall top twenty (it was #38 ranked by total viewers), but it was #10 (NBC's best placement) among 18-49 year olds. The cast reunion including George Clooney on ER was closer to the top twenty overall list (it was #22), and placed twelfth among adults 18-49 for the week.
If a show in the table below doesn't show an 18-49 ranking it just means the show wasn't among the top 25 shows (actually 26, this week).
Nielsen Top Twenty Shows by viewers for the week ending March 15, 2009:
| Rank | Shows | R=Repeat S=Special P=Premiere | Net | # Viewers (LIVE+SD) (000) | HH rating (LIVE+SD) | HH SHARE (LIVE+SD) | 18-49 Rank |
| 1 | AMERICAN IDOL-TUESDAY | FOX | 25,767 | 14.6 | 23 | 1 | |
| 2 | AMERICAN IDOL-WEDNESDAY | FOX | 25,547 | 14.6 | 22 | 2 | |
| 3 | DANCING WITH THE STARS | P | ABC | 22,829 | 14.1 | 21 | 3 |
| 4 | CSI | CBS | 17,132 | 10.3 | 16 | 9 | |
| 5 | DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES | ABC | 14,602 | 9.1 | 14 | 4 | |
| 6 | CRIMINAL MINDS | CBS | 14,342 | 8.9 | 14 | 21 | |
| 7 | Mentalist, THE | R | CBS | 14,322 | 9.0 | 14 | |
| 8 | CSI: MIAMI | CBS | 14,215 | 9.0 | 15 | 8 | |
| 9 | Grey'S ANATOMY-THU 9PM | ABC | 13,642 | 9.1 | 14 | 5 | |
| 10 | CSI: NY | CBS | 13,633 | 8.6 | 14 | 22 | |
| 11 | NCIS | R | CBS | 13,518 | 8.5 | 13 | |
| 12 | TWO AND A HALF MEN | CBS | 13,437 | 8.1 | 12 | 7 | |
| 13 | COLD CASE | CBS | 13,025 | 8.0 | 12 | ||
| 14 | 60 MINUTES | CBS | 12,870 | 8.1 | 14 | ||
| 15 | SURVIVOR: TOCANTINS | CBS | 12,818 | 7.3 | 12 | 11 | |
| 16 | HOUSE | FOX | 12,384 | 7.3 | 11 | 6 | |
| 17 | ELEVENTH HOUR | CBS | 11,608 | 7.2 | 12 | ||
| 18 | 24 | FOX | 11,368 | 6.8 | 10 | 20 | |
| 19 | LIE TO ME | P | FOX | 11,251 | 6.8 | 11 | 24 |
| 20 | LAW AND ORDER:SVU | NBC | 11,066 | 7.2 | 12 | 19 |
Nielsen Ratings Data: ©2009 The Nielsen Company. All Rights Reserved
All numbers above based on live plus same day DVR viewing.
